Long before there were church buildings or seminaries to train pastors or even a book with the story of Jesus written down in it, Jesus’ followers were the church. The church is people. And, today, the church is us.
We are the church when we get together. But we are also the church when we are at home, at work, at school, having coffee with the neighbor, doing our shopping, paying our taxes, marking the ballot. We are the church wherever we go. It is our job, in all those places, to share the good news of God’s love in everything we say and everything we do.
There is no experience necessary to be the church. The first people who answered Jesus’ call to follow him certainly didn’t have any.
This message was adapted from the Bible study, “Act Boldly for Mission,” by Kelly Fryer available for free download under Resources on womenoftheelca.org. Fryer is leading the Bible study at the Tenth Triennial Gathering next month in Minneapolis.